There’s No Such Thing as an Unskilled Texan
How Texas State Technical College’s Workforce Training Programs Can Meet Your Workforce Needs
(WACO, Texas)
Predicting the Future of Labor
If you work in recruitment or management, you already know about the challenges facing the employment market. If you work in the industrial or manufacturing industry, you are even more likely aware of the pain points present in employee retention. Senior professionals are retiring, and the younger labor pool doesn’t have the same vocational skills as their retiring counterparts. Job listings are increasing in the state of Texas by 5% — more than any other state in the U.S. — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Competition to hire and retain good talent is expected to continue.
According to the Texas Labor Market Review, the demand for “middle-skill” employees has been steadily increasing over the course of the past four years. Middle-skill jobs are defined as those jobs requiring greater than a high school-level education but less than a four-year degree.
Looking forward, O*NET OnLine lists 14 of 150 (or just under 10%) manufacturing occupations as jobs having a “bright outlook.” These occupations are expected to grow rapidly in the next several years, will have many job openings in the next several years, or are new and emerging occupations within the U.S. If you have employees who would be eligible for middle-skill roles after receiving credentials, then you should consider your employee retention practices to ensure future success.
It’s Just Smart Business
You have incumbent talent in your organization that can benefit from further education or upskilling. However, if you don’t act strategically to empower those employees with proper learning opportunities, they are more likely to pursue employment elsewhere. LinkedIn’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report indicates that many employees are seeking further learning and are likely to leave their current company to achieve those learning goals. In fact, three of the top five reasons that employees cite for considering new jobs relate to their wanting to develop new skills and grow in their field.
It’s not just learning opportunities, though. Have you ever had an employee who was excellent, but you were unable to offer them a better position due to corporate requirements related to education? That same Workplace Learning Report also indicated that an employee who has changed positions within the company has a 75% likelihood of staying with that company. Key employees who are already successful and have shown their commitment to quality work will leave a company if that work is not recognized by superiors. You can address this by helping employees to receive the additional workforce training they need to grow, which in turn can improve your company’s employee retention over time.
So, How Do You Get Started?
There are many avenues to success when it comes to employee education opportunities within the state of Texas. Many companies provide their employees with access to paid training through online resources like LinkedIn Learning.
Employers can also schedule workshops or in-person educational opportunities for their employees to be educated or re-educated in programs or technologies new to their field. Similarly, soft-skill training seminars and workshops can be an important part of professional development in middle-skill jobs.
However, to really offer employees an education of value, employers should consider upskilling incumbent talent with certifications or skills attainment through a higher education partner. Texas State Technical College offers workforce training that allows incumbent workers the opportunity to acquire the skill set needed to hit the job running. This offers the employer business success, company growth and employee satisfaction to guarantee a sustainable future workforce. So, if you want to improve employee retention, reach out to TSTC. You’ll be glad you did.
